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Amaro On Outfield Market

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Even after trading for Ben Revere, the Phillies could add another established outfielder. But GM Ruben Amaro Jr. told Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com that the asking prices of the top free agent outfielders are a deterrent (Twitter link). 

"We feel like the demands are north of where we want to be,'' Amaro said. 

Michael Bourn, Nick Swisher and Cody Ross are the top free agent outfielders available, and presumably Amaro is alluding to some or all of these players. The Phillies, who have Domonic Brown, John Mayberry Jr. and Darin Ruf as internal outfield candidates, are also eyeing trades. They’ve been linked to right-handed hitting trade candidates such as Alfonso Soriano and Vernon Wells.

Yankees Re-Sign Ichiro Suzuki

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The Yankees have officially re-signed Ichiro Suzuki, the team announced. It's a two-year contract worth $13MM.  Agent Tony Attanasio represents Ichiro.

Ichiro - Yankees (PW)

The Yankees have pursued a strategy of signing veterans (such as Kevin Youkilis, Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera) to one-year deals this winter, but were forced to make a two-year commitment to the 39-year-old Ichiro due to competing multiyear offers. The Phillies pushed hard for Ichiro and offered him a two-year, $14MM deal, while the Giants were believed to have offered the outfielder a two-year, $15MM contract. While the other offers were larger, Ichiro took the Yankees' contract after telling the team he wanted to remain in New York.  

Ichiro will join two other left-handed hitters in New York’s outfield: Curtis Granderson and Brett Gardner. The team is exploring the idea of adding a right-handed complement to the group, FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal reported earlier this offseason.

Ichiro ranked 40th on MLBTR’s list of top 50 free agents this offseason. The 39-year-old posted a .283/.307/.390 batting line in 663 plate appearances for the Mariners and Yankees this past season. However, his performance improved considerably after the Yankees acquired him in a midseason trade (he hit .322/.340/.454 with New York). Ichiro has 2,606 hits, two batting titles, ten All-Star Game selections and a career .322/.365/.419 in 12 MLB seasons.

Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com and WFAN's Craig Carton first reporting the deal was done (on Twitter). Rosenthal, ESPN's Buster Olney, Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News, Joel Sherman of the New York Post, and the New York Times' David Waldstein all added information about the various aspects of the signing.

Mark Polishuk and Mike Axisa also contributed to this post. Photo courtesy of US Presswire.

At Least Five Teams Interested In J.P. Howell

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The Nationals, Phillies, Cubs, Mariners and Rangers are all interested in free agent reliever J.P. Howell, reports MLB.com's Bill Ladson.  Howell said last month that "a handful" of teams were pursuing him, and Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times speculated that the Angels could be one of those suitors.  The Brewers were also known to be looking for left-handed relief help, though Howell was not one of the names recently mentioned as targets by Milwaukee GM Doug Melvin.

Howell posted strong numbers out of the Rays' bullpen in 2008-09 before missing the entire 2010 season due to shoulder surgery and struggling to a 6.16 ERA in 30 2/3 innings in 2011.  The southpaw returned to form in 2012, however, posting a 3.04 ERA, 1.91 K/BB ratio, 7.5 K/9 rate and 48.9% groundball rate, though some advanced metrics (4.78 FIP and a .250 BABIP) indicate that Howell benefited from some good fortune. 

The Legacy Sports Group client has held left-handed batters to a .675 OPS in his career, topping that mark in 2012 when lefty hitters managed only a .200/.306/.306 slash line.

Phils Interested In Vernon Wells, Still In On Cody Ross

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The Phillies are still pursuing free agent Cody Ross and also have interest in acquiring Angels outfielder Vernon Wells, reports Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.  As Heyman notes, Philadelphia is looking for a right-handed hitting outfielder who can be slotted behind Ryan Howard in the lineup.  Ross would be the ideal fit for this role, as it's hard to expect Wells to serve as suitable lineup protection given how his production has dropped off in each of the last two seasons.

Besides the Phillies, the Mets, Mariners and Braves have also been linked to Ross this offseason.  The Yankees, Orioles and Red Sox also had interest but may be out of the running now since both clubs have made other outfield signings (Ichiro Suzuki, Nate McLouth and Shane Victorino, respectively).

Wells would be a cheap addition for the Phillies, as the Angels would still have to cover most of the $42MM owed to Wells through the 2014 season.  The Yankees have also been rumored as another possible trade destination for Wells.  It has been presumed that Wells would waive his no-trade clause to receive more playing time and a fresh start away from Anaheim.

There is plenty of room in the Philadelphia outfield, as only center fielder Ben Revere is thus far slated for an everyday spot in the lineup.  Phillies GM Ruben Amaro told media (including Ryan Lawrence of the Philadelphia Daily News) that all options are being considered, including not having everyday corner outfielders.

"We’re still trolling through the possibility of adding another piece there. And we’re also considering the possibility with a double platoon. That’s a possibility as well," Amaro said.  "We’ve done some things that have helped our club at a couple of different levels. I don’t think the process of trying to help improve our club stops until the end of the season."

Phillies To Sign John Lannan

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The Phillies have agreed to sign left-hander John Lannan to a one-year, $2.5MM contract, the team announced today. The deal includes another $2.5M in bonuses according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (all Twitter links). Lannan is represented by Brodie Van Wagenen at CAA Sports.

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“Clearly we have a familiarity with John and his past performance and success in this division helps us add depth to our rotation,” GM Ruben Amaro Jr. said.

The pitching-rich Nationals non-tendered the 28-year-old Lannan last month rather than pay a projected $5MM in his third trip through arbitration. He spent most of last season in Triple-A (4.30 ERA in 148 2/3 innings) despite a $5MM salary, though he did make six big league starts for Washington (4.13 ERA in 32 2/3 innings).

Lannan, a four-pitch finesse left-hander, brings reliability to the Phillies rotation. He's thrown at least 180 total innings in each of the last five seasons and has a career 53.0% ground ball rate, which is well-above-average. He won't miss many bats though (career 4.7 K/9). Philadelphia was reportedly seeking a low-risk starter after trading Vance Worley for Ben Revere, and Lannan qualifies.

Because he was non-tendered in November, Lannan did not qualify for Tim Dierkes' Top 50 Free Agents List.

Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com first reported the agreement (on Twitter). Photo courtesy of US Presswire.

Quick Hits: Phillies, D’Arnaud, Angels, Rays

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The Phillies’ lack of big moves this offseason likely indicate that 2013 will be a transition year, writes Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer.  Soon after trading Hunter Pence and Shane Victorino in July, General Manager Ruben Amaro explained that the moves would allow flexibility to sign at least one major free agent, and possibly even more.  Amaro wound up making his first foray into the open market on Saturday with the signings of Mike Adams and John Lannan.  Here’s more from around baseball..

  • Some have wondered about the condition of Travis d’Arnaud’s knee, but a club source says that the Mets have looked over his medicals and they are fine, Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports tweets.  D’Arnaud is believed to be a part of the heavily rumored R.A. Dickey trade along with Noah Syndergaard.
  • The Angels are continuing their search for starting pitching and are considering filling the void with mid-level free agent pitchers rather than make trades, according to Jim Bowden of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
  • Rays manager Joe Maddon will miss James Shields for a number of reasons, but his chief problem will be making up all the innings that Shields provided, writes Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.   Shields gave the club 30 to 40 more innings than any other starter and averaged 220 over the past six seasons.

Angels In Contact With Tigers About Rick Porcello

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The Angels have been in contact with the Tigers about Rick Porcello, reports Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com. The Pirates, Padres, Rangers, Phillies, Twins, and Royals also have interest in the right-hander, though Knobler says Detroit doesn't have interest in Pittsburgh closer Joel Hanrahan.

Drafted 23rd overall in 2007, the 23-year-old Porcello zoomed to the big leagues after just one season in the minors. He owns a 4.55 ERA with 5.0 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9 in 120 starts and 691 2/3 innings. His 52.3% ground ball rate helps make up for the lack of strikeouts. Porcello earned $3.1MM in 2012 and projects to earn $4.7MM in his second trip through arbitration this winter. He's a Super Two and will be eligible for free agency after 2015.

The Tigers re-signed Anibal Sanchez a few days ago, rounding out a stellar front-four that includes also Justin Verlander, Doug Fister, Max Scherzer. Porcello and Drew Smyly are the front-runners for the fifth starter's spot. The Angels have acquired Tommy Hanson and signed Joe Blanton this winter, but they're still looking for rotation depth behind Jered Weaver and C.J. Wilson.

Yankees, Angels Discussed Vernon Wells

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The Angels have a few too many outfielders after signing Josh Hamilton, though they prefer to trade Kendrys Morales or Vernon Wells rather than Peter Bourjos or Mark Trumbo according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The Yankees discussed Wells with Anaheim at the Winter Meetings.

Wells, 34, has hit .222/.258/.409 in 791 plate appearances with the Angels over the last two seasons. He's owed $21MM in each of the next two seasons, and the Halos know they'll have to eat most of that to facilitate a trade. The Yankees are seeking a right-handed bat to complement their all-lefty outfield, though they still have interest in free agent Scott Hairston. Wells has hit .266/.312/.481 against southpaws these last two years.

Rosenthal says the Phillies and Rays are also possible fits for Wells, though the former is ramping up their pursuit of Cody Ross. Wells has a full no-trade clause but would likely waive it for a team offering more playing time.

NL East Notes: Phillies, Ross, Braves, Fowler

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Sources tell Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter) that the Phillies are intensifying their pursuit of Cody Ross.  Of course there’s other clubs strongly pursuing the outfielder, including the Mariners.  Here’s more out on the Phillies and the rest of the NL East..

  • There were no trade talks brewing this weekend between the Braves or Rangers on Dexter Fowler, a Rockies source told Troy Renck of the Denver Post (on Twitter).  The Braves have been in trade talks this week with several clubs and are believed to be targeting Fowler.
  • The Mets may be on the verge of acquiring Travis d’Arnaud from the Blue Jays, which shows how bad they want R.A. Dickey, tweets Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports.  Two other execs that asked for d’Arnaud this offseason were told flat-out no.
  • After picking up Mike Adams and John Lannan, Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer looks at what is left for the Phillies to spend on an outfield upgrade.  By Gelb’s math, the Phillies could sign an outfielder with an average annual salary of approximately $7MM and be right up against the tax threshold.

Phillies Claim Mauricio Robles

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The Phillies announced that they claimed Mauricio Robles off of waivers from the Mariners. Seattle had designated the left-hander for assignment six days ago.

Robles, 23, posted a 5.78 ERA with 8.7 K/9 and 7.9 BB/9 in 43 total games in the upper minors this past season. In parts of seven minor league seasons he has a 4.15 ERA with 9.4 K/9 and 5.3 BB/9. The Phillies already have left-handed relievers such as Antonio Bastardo, Jeremy Horst and Raul Valdes on their 40-man roster.

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